Apple Music celebrates The Kid LAROI in First Nations-focused playlist
The Kid LAROI is the August cover star of Apple Music’s monthly FIRST playlist.
Curated by Wiradjuri woman Jaja Dare, FIRST aims to showcase the best new releases from First Nations artists around Australia.
This month’s playlist spotlights new music from the likes of Birdz, Alice Skye, Sycco, Moss, Miiesha and Baker Boy. Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie was tapped to create the artwork.
LAROI’s addition to the playlist arrives off the back of the third reissue of his debut mixtape F*ck Love: Over You, which peaked at #1 on the US Billboard 200 and ARIA Albums Chart.
The mixtape’s rampant success is powered by its colossal lead single, the Justin Bieber-assisted ‘Stay’, which is this week tipped to become The Kid LAROI’s first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
The 17-year-old Waterloo-born artist said that ‘Stay’ was crafted alongside producer Charlie Puth “in the most organic way” and revealed that Bieber actually freestyled his own contribution to the track.
“I was hanging out at a friend’s house and Charlie Puth went over to a keyboard and started randomly playing the ‘Stay’ melody and I loved it immediately so I jumped on the mic and sang the hook. It reminded me of the excitement I got when I first started making music and we didn’t plan studio sessions,” LAROI said.
“A few months later, I was listening to it and thought ‘Wow, Justin would sound great on this’ – I pulled up to the studio he works at and he freestyled his part – it was crazy.”